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Healthy Homemade Ketchup – made with fresh tomatoes and perfect for canning

Healthy Homemade Ketchup

This Healthy Homemade Ketchup is made with only 2 ingredients – fresh garden tomatoes and … apples! The ketchup is naturally sweetened, has a deep tangy flavor and thick texture. It’s also a perfect ketchup recipe for canning with using an easy way to sterilize jars.
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 3 hrs
Total Time 3 hrs 20 mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 5 cups
Calories 8 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 6 - 7 lb or 3kg ripe tomatoes (or ~ 5 ½ lb cored and peeled)
  • 4-5 large apples or ~ 1 lb cored and peeled
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasonings
  • 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 5 tablespoons 50ml white wine vinegar

Instructions
 

  • In a 5-quart pot boil about 3-4 quarts of water over high heat. Slice a shallow “X” on top of each tomato. Working in batches, drop the tomatoes in the hot water for 1 minute or so. Using a slotted spoon, lift the tomatoes out and place them on a cutting board. Let tomatoes cool and then peel off the skins using your hands. Discard the water from the pot.
  • Roughly chop the tomatoes, core, and transfer them to the same 5-quart pot.
  • Peel the apples, remove cores and roughly chop. Place them in the pot with tomatoes. Add in salt, black pepper, ground coriander, Italian seasonings, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg. Stir well.
  • Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is reduced and the sauce reaches the consistency you like. This will take about 2 - 3 hours but could take longer if there's a lot of liquid in the ketchup mixture.
  • Remove from heat and let it cool slightly. Then using a hand blender, food processor, or countertop blender blend the ketchup mixture into a smooth puree.
  • Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer using a spoon or spatula to press the mixture through the strainer into a clean large bowl. Discard anything leftover in the strainer.
  • Return the ketchup back to the pot and add the vinegar. Stir well and simmer again, stirring carefully for 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Refrigerator or Freezer storage:

  • Let the ketchup cool to room temperature then pour into jars. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
  • If you want to freeze your sauce, pour it into freezer-friendly containers or bags and freeze for up to 4 months.

Canning storage:

  • Sterilize clean glass jars and lids: Wash them and place them in the oven. Adjust the temperature to 350˚F and heat the jars with lids for 20-25 min. Turn off the oven and leave the jars with lids in to keep them hot.
  • Carefully pour the hot ketchup into hot or very warm jars. Top with the sterilized lids and screw on the rings. Let cool and store the jars with ketchup in a cool, dark place like a pantry for at least 6-7 months.

Notes

How Many Calories in Homemade Ketchup
Calories (per 1 tbsp, 15ml): 8 kcal Calories (per 100 g ): 56 kcal
Fat: 0 g Fat: 0.5 g
Carbohydrates: 2.0 g Carbohydrates: 13.2 g
Protein: 0.3 g Protein: 2.0 g
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